STRUCTURE OF SiT 
(as sent to members...)
 
 
  • A Member of the SiT international network is a person who has 
  • participated in an international working meeting (IWM);
  • written a reflection of that meeting or turned a paper which has been inspired by our work;
  • pays the equivalent of one hour’s earnings annually as dues (either at the IWM or to the local coordinator or financial representative in his/her country).
    •
      2. The Board is to consist of 5 members, one of whom is the Coordinator. 
      The tasks of the Board include 
      • guiding the development of SiT, watching over the process of the organization, encouraging focus and delineating policy;
      • maintaining contact with the members and stimulating exchange between them;
      • supporting local organization committees preparing an annual working meeting to ensure continuity of SiT traditions and integration with agreed policies;
      • making decisions between the annual meetings including
      • eliciting volunteers and appointing people for the functional offices of SiT, and
      • prioritizing their financial needs along with Board and other activities. 
      • coordinating scientific & research activities;
      • meeting at least twice or three times a year as needed for these tasks.
      The Coordinator will function as Chair of the Board and official representative of SIT where one is needed. S/he will also provide information throughout the network and to the Board, encourage local coordinators and members in various projects, and network with national and international NGO’s as may be necessary for the good of the organization.

      3. Board members will be elected by the members of SIT at the IWM or by mail that has reached the group prior to the IWM . The election will be facilitated by a SIT member who is neither a Board member nor running for the Board that year. 

      • The Coordinator will also be elected by the members of SIT.
      Members will vote twice for that person, once for the Board and once for the Coordinator position. People proposed for Coordinator will provide members with their vision for the work of the Coordinator and other parts of SIT, and their election will be considered a broad endorsement of this.

      5. Board members will serve for three years , with some flexibility for an additional year if more than 2 vacancies occur in a given year. After their term they must leave the Board for at least one year of holiday before being eligible to run again. 

      6. Election Procedures:

      The Board will enquire among members for someone, not currently on the Board or expecting to run for a Board position to act as Election Facilitator. 
      Members will be asked in the Newsletter at least 3 months before the Annual meeting to propose candidates for Board and Coordinator positions. They can propose themselves or someone else. But if someone else, they should check first whether that person is willing to be a Board member. These proposals will be sent to the Election Facilitator. 
      A subsequent Newsletter will announce the candidate list and include for members not planning to attend the IWM an envelope to sign and a ballot for those candidates who have been proposed. Such voting letters are to be sent to the Election Facilitator to arrive one week before the IWM, or to be sent via the Local Coordinator. The main ballot will take place at the IWM, and it is possible that candidates will have appeared by then that were not on the mail ballot. The sealed vote envelopes are to be opened after the main ballot. 

      7. The Chair of the Local Committee organizing the Annual International Working Meeting (IWM) will be a temporary member of the Board for the year preceding the IWM. S/he should participate in Board Meetings, but vote only on issues affecting the IWM. The Board Meeting preceding the IWM is to be held in the host city, to allow for a joint group process of the Local Committee and the Board around selection of participants and program development.

      8. A financial liason committee is to be formed including:

      • a representative from the Board,
      • a representative of the local organizing committee for the IWM, and
      • a representative of each local group which collects funding for SiT.
      These people are to confer regularly on availability of funds and needs. They are to give the Board an idea of what’s available where and to refer any contested issues to the Board for prioritizing. (Only the local groups which have the funds can DECIDE on their use according to laws of tax-exempt status.)

      9. Complaints and Mediation

      Members of the Network can present a complaint to a member of the Board and/or a person of trust

      • if they find that one or more officers of SiT are not fulfilling their duties, or
      • in case of other serious problems which endanger joint work in the network.
      The person who has received the complaint may be or should choose a Mediator acceptable to both the Complainer and the Complainee. These three are to meet before or at the beginning of the next meeting of the group to which they both belong (i.e. the Board, if both are Board Members, or the Annual Working Meeting if it is a crisis between Members.) If the problem cannot be resolved so as to promote an adequate ability to work together between the parties, the Mediator is to suggest further means of obtaining a solution. Referral to the Board as a whole may be the next step.

      10. Adoption and Amendment

      This documentation of the Structure of SiT can be adopted by the Annual Meeting at the IWM after being circulated among the Members via Newsletter. Any suggestions for changes and/or clarifications are to be made by any Member to the Board. If there is controversy around a suggestion, a Structure Committee can be formed to work through the debate.

      11. SiT Function Profiles:

      Volunteers to be encouraged and appointed by the Board; 
      (Can be Board members or also not).
      All of the people in these offices are to be encouraged and their work financially supported by SiT (including the members and the Board) in any way possible and/or necessary.
      Chair of the Organizing Committee for the annual international working meeting
      The main task is to organize an IWM. 
      An extremely important first task is to find reliable and motivated members for the Local Committee.

      Editor of the Reader

      To choose papers and publish a Reader before the annual meeting for participants;
      Specific tasks defined in a ‘Yellow Page,’ term: 3 years

      Local Coordinators

      Tasks: - to spread news from SiT to local members; and

      • to relay info and ideas from local members to SiT central functions;
      • to inform potential new members about SiT programs and policies;
      • to organize local activities bridging SiT and local concerns;
      • to incorporate SiT as a local N.G. O. organization in your country, like SiT e.V. (Germany) and SiT Inc. (U.S.) if this would be useful for SiT or your work.
    This involves getting legal approval for an organizational form. Informal measures such as use of the same logo or having the Local Coordinator as President of the local N.G.O. can create integration with the International Network. Newsletter Editor

    To collect info from around the network and other materials of interest, publish newsletters as needed, and distribute them to Members, Corresponding members, and other recipients including potential members; Tasks detailed on orange page.

    Webmaster

    Task: to run the web-site as agreed with the Board.